Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Heftman, K..
This paper discusses the transition between traditional planetary missions (requiring constant operational control and limited in size only by booster capability) and the cheaper missions of the New Millennium spacecraft, which will be smaller and will have a great deal of autonomy.
The paper deals with the exploration of the region between the earth and the sun by means of the Helios I and II spacecraft, launched in December 1974 and January 1976, respectively. Initially intended for quiet-sun observations over a period of 18 months, the mission has been extended to cover the twenty first solar cycle for which an intense sun spot maximum is predicted. The spacecraft configuration, the onboard systems, the requirements of the scientific experiments, and the operational aspects of the mission are discussed.
Deep Space Network /DSN/ with ground communications network, centralized control and data processing, discussing future data return and control capabilities